Verbatim Corporation, and its parent company, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (Verbatim/MKM), announced today that retailers in Japan will receive shipments of the industry's first 15GB HD DVD-R media early in July. Production of 30GB dual layer HD DVD-R media will begin in June. Shipments to other parts of the world will begin when hardware products supporting these recordable formats become available.

Verbatim/MKM also expects to be first to market with HD DVD-RW rewritable media, as soon as the official specification is released. The HD DVD-R media is produced at MKM's Singapore factory. Because the shorter wavelength blue laser that reads and writes HD DVD-R media is not compatible with standard DVD recording dye, MKM leveraged its Azo technology to develop a new recording dye specifically designed for HD DVD-R.

According to Verbatim/MKM, the new recording dye delivers three key advantages:

Superior Compatibility. High recording sensitivity plus the wider power margin of the new recording layer ensure a low error rate, regardless of drive power fluctuations or smudges on the disc surface.

Read Stability. Uncompromised read stability from day one to more than 1.5 million¹ read cycles ensures years of ultra-reliability.

Long Life. Highly stable recording characteristics for a lifetime of high performance--even after long periods of storage for both recorded and unrecorded media. Like patented Metal AZO recording dye used with Verbatim's DVD-R media, the new dye is highly resistant to sunlight and heat.

The recording characteristics of Verbatim HD DVD-R discs are further enhanced by the disc's physical attributes. Features such as a uniform groove shape, consistent substrate thickness and flatness of the disc have been proven to optimize the performance and longevity of Verbatim media. These characteristics are achieved using a new mastering process, ultra precise molding technology and advanced bonding techniques developed by MKM. To achieve the narrow track pitch of the HD DVD format, MKM also developed a stamper with a precise groove shape that could not have been achieved with existing techniques.

With the availability of MKM/Verbatim HD DVD-R media, users will be able to record and enjoy the amazingly sharp images that high-definition video provides. The high-capacity discs will also find extensive application in computer data storage in the near future when PC drives supporting the format are launched.

Verbatim/MKM is a general member of the HD DVD Promotion Group and a charter member of the DVD Forum.